Hey - I'm new to this commuity, but I have a lot of experieince with dreams, particularly Lucid Dreams. I had one last night, for instance.

Anyways - the basics are always good to emphasize. First of all, if there are recurring symbols or themes in your dreams, the place to begin is to ask yourself is "What does that mean to me?" If you can't come up with any sort of explanation or feelings associated with the theme, the meaning could be as simple as "the unknown" or some sort of vague exoticness.

Most of your themes seem to be related, and involve either a perception of needed changes in your life or a recognition that you are going through a phase of change. I think the "pre-game" and "near escape" themes are closely related, in that you are anxious about something that you feel needs to be done, but are waiting for something or someone to give you the signal to begin. In the escape dreams, you realize that you can begin whenever you want. The shoestrings are representative of feeling like there's something you need to do - something either left undone or something you keep neglecting. And the winding sidewalk is letting you know that the path ahead isn't "straightforward," but involves lots of twists and turns. All in all, you seem to be on the verge of a great change in your life, but don't seem to think you are ready. You may feel as if leaving the crowd (in the "near escape" dreams) will leave you alone, seperate you from the many people in the crowd (society). I had a similar theme at the end of my megadream last night, but as I struggled up the hill, I knew there were people awaiting me at "home." I think you need to realize that as you seperate from the crowd, you will find others who have escaped.

I'm not sure what to make of the other symbols. Maybe it has to do with how you feel about them at the time - in the context of the dream. Again - you have to ask yourself how you feel about those things in order to find some sort of meaning.

Hope this helps!